Construction regulations have been tightened following previous disasters, most recently in 2018.Stricter safety standards were also brought in following the 1999 earthquake around the city of Izmit, in the north-west of the country, in which 17,000 people died.The latest rules require structures in earthquake-prone regions to use high quality concrete reinforced with steel bars. Columns and beams must also be distributed to effectively absorb the impact of earthquakes.